Check out a very pleasant interview/review from Holly w/ UPSTATELIVE MUSIC GUIDE.
This publication is spread through out all of Upstate New York... obviously we are very excited to be invloved.
When I saw Jatoba for the first time at the Sterling Stage String Fling, it was also the first time I had ever heard them. It didn’t take me long to realize that the musical versatility that they offered, along with their obvious love and knack for performing for the audience, gave them quite a bit of potential for being one of the great and loved bands here in the Central New York Music scene. Following their show I hooked up with the guys to find out more about what Jatoba is all about.
Holly: The music of Jatoba encompasses a wide variety of styles touching on acoustic rock, bluegrass, and even Eastern style music as well as many more. How is it that a three man band is able to do this?
Jason: Our music is eclectic because all three of us are from different backgrounds, musically. John and I hail from the Appalachian mountains of Virginia where you have a strong influence of bluegrass and folk music. Jeff is from New Hampshire where is has been studying Jazz and Classical music. Individually each one of us has studied different genres such as African rhythms, Middle Eastern music and gamelan music.
Holly: Being that you all play multiple instruments; can you give me an idea of the process you use to choose which instrument to play and which style to go with, when you get together to write songs?
John: There’s not really a process that we go through to decide what to play. When somebody brings a song to the table we experiment with different instrumentations until we find the one that works best. Sometimes because we all can play an array of instruments we might change it up on the fly depending on our mood... or broken strings. Lately we have been writing more with Jason on the banjo and me on the mandolin. It keeps things fresh and exciting as well.
Holly: You must be pretty comfortable together as a band to be able to run in the many musical directions that Jatoba does. So how exactly is it that you came to be Jatoba?
Jeff: I met Jason in Keene, NH one summer. We started an electronic groove pop band called, “Phil and The Fuzz”! We were in search of another guitar player so Jason recommended that John, who was living in Colorado at the time, audition for the band. We sent him a CD to play and record to and it sounded great! Phil and the Fuzz ran its course until Jason decided he wanted to go more acoustic. After a couple of months later, Jason and John approached me to join their Acousta-groove-grass project.
Holly: Before Jatoba, what were you and Jason playing together John?
John: We made a pact while living in Vermont eight years ago that we would always, no matter what, do our best to keep the music going. Through these years Jason and I have been traveling around to different areas of the country, sometime together, sometimes not. For example, when he was in northern Arizona and I was in Roanoke, VA we would call each other on the phone and write music. We couldn’t play in time with each other because of the delay in the phone line, so I would play a lick and he would follow with another. We’ve sent lyrics back and forth via email too. We did what we could and it worked out because here we are.
Holly: When did you become interested in playing the sitar and how did you go about doing so?
John: Well when I was young my Uncle John was a musician, and ever since I can remember he had a sitar. I would be taking a nap at my Grandma’s house and I would always sneak off to “play” it. In all actuality I would just strum the strings and laugh hysterically at the sound they made. I loved it from the start! So about 20 years later I found that very same sitar at my father’s house. My Uncle had passed away about 15 years ago and my Dad took care of all his instruments. So I found it and just sort of took it. He wasn’t very happy about that, but I vowed to learn how to play it. So that began my studies and eventually I had the privilege to study under the sitar master Roshan Jamal Bhartiya out in Boulder, Colorado. I studied about 1 ½ years and then left Colorado. So that’s where I am now with the sitar and I’m constantly looking for a teacher so that I may continue my studies. But I still love playing it and I am constantly trying to find ways to utilize it in our music.
Holly: Jason, what did you do musically during your hiatus from your best friend?
Jason: Well like John was saying in a previous question, their have been a few periods of time when we were not playing together. I love writing music and playing live for people so it was easy for me to just keep on doing so. I consider myself a strong singer/songwriter and am very comfortable with crowds so I would play solo gigs a bunch. There was one project I was in back in Virginia that was awesome. I met two guys that had similar ideas in the way we as musicians can perform. Muhanndes played African percussion and John Perry was an amazing spoken word artist. We would play the most beautiful music! I love recording music as well! I’ve recorded so many 1-2 min songs that all spawned from improvised playing. Each one seems to represent how I was feeling that day or where I was at in my life. I’m thinking about releasing a CD of them all.
Holly: How about you Jeff, what were you doing before Jatoba?
Jeff: After playing in a number of rock bands around southern New Hampshire, I played bass in a jazz trio around 2002 for a few years. In the fall of 2004 I began to study classical music and jazz at Keene State College. During this time I played with a number of other bands of varying styles, including Phil and the Fuzz. I have been playing with Jatoba since January of ‘08, and just recently I began studying Arnold Schoenberg’s Theory of Harmony, which has given me a new appreciation for classical Western theory.
Holly: Besides the musical creativeness that flows from Jatoba, the first thing I noticed when I saw you for the first time was the overwhelming energy and great vibe that you all send out to the crowd during your show. Where does this come from?
Jeff: Aside from disciplined rehearsal schedule, we are all great friends outside of the music realm. That ultimately results in onstage comfort! Since we listen to each other while we play we are able to relax and let the music flow during shows. That gives us the space to check out the crowd and involve them in what we are experiencing.
Holly: The Jatoba experience includes a great deal of dramatics and crowd interaction that leaves the audience feeling like they have been intimately involved in the unfolding of the performance. What has influenced you to perform in such a way?
John: The CROWD!!!
Holly: Primarily you play to your locals in Vermont, do you plan on playing more to us Upstate New Yorker’s in the near future?
Jason: We are very excited to be welcomed back to the Sterling Stage at their “Last Daze of Summer” harvest festival in September. While playing at String Fling we met and reconnected with some great bands to where there are already talks and workings to routing some dates in Syracuse, Rochester, Ithaca and Albany. Every NY show we’ve played we have met some really awesome people. All of them have been people that like our music and love to dance. There really is no reason for us not to play for you guys!
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